This invention relates to a passive transponder identification system and a method of using the same, more specifically, a system, which is capable of being used with multiple transponders to monitor the feeding and drinking behavior of animals in order to predict a variety of conditions relating to health, productivity and quality.
Changes in individual animal feeding and watering behavior has been linked to poor performance in several livestock species (Pijpers et al. 1991; Basarab et al. 1997). Traditionally measuring individual animal feeding behavior and intake has been labor intensive, costly and only conducted on small numbers of animals. In cattle, individual animal feeding behavior and intake was measured using specialized equipment such as the Calan gate and pinpointer. However this equipment was impractical under commercial feedlot conditions and did not reflect the feeding patterns of cattle fed from one bunk or trough in large groups.
Over the past forty years or so passive radio frequency identification has been used to automatically identify objects. One example of a practical application of this technology has resulted in electronic identification of individual animals. The basic elements of such systems include a reader/transmitter, an antenna and a transponder. The reader/transmitter sends an electromagnetic charge wave through the antenna to the transponder, which uses this energy to transmit a radio frequency signal back through the antenna to the reader/transmitter. Typically, the signal includes an identification code unique to each transponder. In order to monitor the activities of large herds or confined groupings of animals, one must be able to monitor multiple transponders in a relatively small area. With currently available technology it is extremely difficult to read multiple transponders using one reader/transmitter.
If each one of the multiple transponders uses the same frequency to transmit its unique identification code back to the reader/transmitter, a single reader/transmitter is unable to readily decipher each individual identification code. In order to make systems with multiple transponders operational, multiple reader/transmitters are required which, in turn, render such systems costly, and will also reduce the area in which the transponders can be simultaneously read.
The application of a medication in a feedlot, except for mass medication of all of the animals contained within the confined area, typically consists of spotting the animal or animals by a pen rider and by removing the animal from the group of animals. This process is somewhat difficult, time consuming and cost intensive. Moreover, removal of an animal from his or her xe2x80x9chome environmentxe2x80x9d causes stress in the removed animal, which often alters or debilitates the immune system of the removed animal. Each time a pen rider enters a pen they create stress, which upsets feeding behavior. Stress reduces the ability to fight disease and weight gain. It also increases shrink, damages rumen function and can interfere with reproduction.
In addition, it is desirable to determine the weight of an animal at various growth stages and herding animals through an animal squeeze presently do this, which is equipped with a weighing device. Such practice is generally far more expensive than the potential financial gain obtained by such measurement because the animals are often bruised and stressed by such measurement procedure, which may impact the feeding behavior and weight of the animals.
Several technologies have been developed which assist in determining an animal slaughter readiness such as a xe2x80x9cframe scoringxe2x80x9d technique. Frame score is a convenient way of describing the skeletal size of cattle. Frame score, as a predictor of maturity, predicts when an animal is likely to achieve a finished slaughter weight. Other technologies, such as ultrasound back fat measurements, are applied 3 to 4 months prior to slaughter, have been used to improve the carcass uniformity and profitability of finished cattle. However this method was found to be labor intensive and costly to implement, (Basarab et all 1997; Basarab et al 1999, Basarab et al, 2000). Stress prior to slaughter is one of the most important influences on ultimate meat tenderness.
Determination of an animal""s intake is valuable information. During the first 100 to 150 lbs. of gain, cattle are especially prone to acidosis resulting from poor feeding management, excessive/erratic intake and too much energy. Peaking in gain too soon results in poor performance later in the feeding period because of acidosis or from cattle finishing and maturing too quickly. Erratic intake usually means acidosis and poor gain and cost of gain curves. In many cases the gain curve will xe2x80x9cdrop offxe2x80x9d prematurely before cattle are finished.
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems and drawbacks associated with the prior art designs.
Another object is to provide a passive transponder identification system that is capable of transmitting to and reading signals sent from multiple transponders, even if all of the transponders utilize the same frequency.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an unobtrusive monitoring system, which allows continuous observation of feeding and drinking behaviors of sick and healthy cattle without disruption of typical feeding behaviors.
It is another object of the present invention to allow more accurate monitoring of the animals to occur by improved positioning of the antennas. For example, the inventors have obtained beneficial results by having a plurality of antennas integrally formed or molded into a large flexible or affixed mat which is then installed as a lining along an elongate feeding or drinking trough.
Still another object of the present invention is to increase the read range of the transponders while still keeping the system as inexpensive as possible. For example, in a preferred form of the invention, a panel, which houses an RF Generator, is mounted in the region of the flexible mat housing the plurality of antennas. Additionally, in a further effort to reduce the manufacturing costs of the flexible mats, it is beneficial to print conductive ink on a non-conductive substrate to which metals can be plated. Both sides of the substrate are utilized to keep the inductance of the wire(s) leading to the antennas as low as possible. Additionally looped wire can be affixed directly into the feeding or watering trough and cemented into place through a two-part urethane spray process.
Yet other objects of the present invention are:
(1) to reduce the thickness of the flexible mat,
(2) to provide a more sturdy and lightweight flexible mat, and
(3) to provide a flexible mat that can be readily glued, affixed, cemented or sprayed to a conventional feeding or drinking trough to thereby become an extension of the feeding or drinking trough itself to facilitate minimal maintenance of the flexible or affixed mat while still providing for a secure attachment of the flexible mat to the feeding or drinking bunk. It is to be appreciated that for utilization in agricultural environments, the flexible mat must be very easy to install, service, connect, disconnect, etc.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a panel, housing a RF Generator, equipped with data storage capabilities and a transmission mechanism to facilitate transmission of data from the panel by means of infrared technology or RF technology. Such remote transmission minimizes the amount of wiring that is necessary for use in this system and avoids the need to have a plurality of wires running from the remote data collection locations to a central monitoring location. The running of such wires, especially in agricultural environments, is costly and such wires can also readily become damaged and/or disconnected.
A further object of the present invention is to provide computer software to collect data and facilitate analyzing of the behavior of various animals to be monitored in view of the collected data. In a preferred form of the invention, the software is designed to segregate each day into a plurality of different time periods to highlight the diurnal and nocturnal behavior of animals. By segregating the day into a plurality of time periods, it is possible to distinguish between the various time periods of the day and determine the total elapsed time actually spent feeding or drinking at a trough. The software can then either discount or augment the determined total elapsed time spent feeding or drinking at a trough, by use of a suitable adjustment factor, to allow more accurate prediction of the actual consumption of feed or water by each animal during the determined total elapsed time. The segregation of the day in a plurality of different time periods, in turn, allows more accurate prediction of whether the animal is sick, healthy, feeding normally, feeding abnormally, has acidosis, etc.
A yet further object of the invention is to utilize animal identity and specific location at a drinking trough and administer medication specific to that animal via controlled injection of water soluble medications(s) into the animals trough, or to be misted onto the animal to be absorbed by the animal intranasally or through skin absorption.
A further object of the invention is to automatically monitor animal identity and specific location at a drinking trough and or feedbunk or feeding trough, and together with a platform containing weight sensitive load cells, to measure and record animal weight data in the pen without disruption of feeding behaviors.
According to the present invention there is provided a passive transponder identification system, which includes a plurality of transponders, a microprocessor, a single reader/transmitter, coupled to the microprocessor, and a computer. A plurality of antennas are provided and each antenna is coupled, via a signal relay circuit, with the microprocessor and the reader/transmitter to facilitate transmission and reception of signals. The microprocessor sequentially activates each one of the plurality of antennas, via the signal relay circuit, to send a signal from the single reader/transmitter to any adjacent transponder(s). An exchange of signals occurs between any adjacent transponder(s) and the activated antenna during the activating sequence. The computer records the transmitted and received signals and maintains and manipulates the obtained data to generate the desired monitoring information.
The present invention also relates to a method of monitoring feeding behavior.
(1) the first step involves positioning a plurality of antennas at selected spaced intervals along an elongate feeding or drinking trough.
(2) the second step involves equipping each animal with a passive transponder with a unique identification code.
(3) the third step involves coupling the antennas to the computer which monitors the activities of the animals feeding and/or drinking side by side at the trough for animal behaviors which can effect feed intake and or animal performance
(4) the last step involves interpreting the data to predict a desired behavior of the animal to be monitored.
The present invention relates to a drinking trough for facilitation of dispensing of at least one medication to an animal to be treated, the drinking trough comprising:
at least one bowl:
a supply of water coupled to the at least one drinking bowl via a water supply conduit;
a valve being located along the water supply conduit for controlling dispensing of water into the drinking bowl, and operation of the valve being controlled by a lever positioned adjacent the drinking bowl;
at least one medication-administering container being coupled to said water supply conduit, and a control solenoid valve being couplet o a computer to control operation of the control valve and facilitated automatic administering of the medication into the water supply conduit.
The present invention also relates to a system for monitoring administering of a medication to an animal, said system comprising:
an elongate mat having opposing sides and a plurality of antennas spaced there along;
a plurality of passive transponders, each passive transponder having a unique identification code so that when each passive transponder is affixed to an animal, each passive transponder facilitates identification of that animal;
an electronic control system for transmitting an electronic signal sequentially to each one of said plurality of antennas such that each activated antenna emits the signal and, any transponder sufficiently adjacent to each activated antenna, receives the signal and generates a return electronic signal, which is sent to each activated antenna;
A computer coupled to the said plurality of antennas, to receive the return signal from each passive transponder and generating preliminary results indicating an animal behavior, which affects animal feeding characteristics:
at least one drinking bowl;
a supply of water coupled to the at least one drinking bowl via a water supply conduit;
a valve being located along the water supply conduit for controlling dispensing of water into the drinking bowl, and operation of the valve being controlled by a lever positioned adjacent to the drinking bowl;
At least one medication administration container being coupled to the said water supply conduit for dispensing a desired medication to the water supplied by the water supply conduit and a control solenoid valve being coupled to the computer to control operation of the control valve and facilitate the dispensing of medication into the drinking bowl or device to mist and or spray the medication directly onto the animal""s skin.
The present invention also relates to a method of dispensing of at least one medication to a drinking trough to facilitate treating an animal, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the drinking trough with at least one drinking bowl;
coupling at least one medication container to said water supply conduit for dispensing a desired medication to the water supplied by the water supply conduit, and a control valve being coupled to a computer to control operation of the control valve and facilitate automatic administering of the medication into the water supply conduit.
The present invention also relates to a system for monitoring animal feed behavior, said system comprising: an elongate mat having a plurality of antennas spaced there along; a plurality of passive transponders, each passive transponder having a unique identification code so that when the passive transponder is affixed to an animal, the passive transponder facilitates identification of that animal: an electronic control system for transmitting the electronic signal sequentially to each one of said plurality of antennas such that an activated antenna emits the signal and, any sufficiently passive transponder sufficiently adjacent to the activated antenna, receives the signal and generates a return electronic signal which is sent to the activated antenna; a computer, coupled to said plurality of antennas, to receive a return signal from the passive transponder and generating preliminary results to an animal behavior which effects animal feeding characteristics; and modification factor, incorporated in the computer, for modifying the preliminary results to generate a final result that predicts, with an acceptable level of predictability, the animal behavior which effects a consumption activity to be monitored.
The present invention also relates to a method of automatically visibally identifying or marking an animal that needs intervention, said system comprising an elongate mat having opposing sides and a plurality of antennas spaced there along:
a plurality of passive transponders, each passive transponder having a unique identification code so that when each passive transponder is affixed to an animal, each passive transponder facilitates identification of that animal;
an electronic control system for transmitting an electronic signal sequentially to each one of said plurality of antennas such that each activated antenna emits the signal and, any transponder sufficiently adjacent to each activated antenna, receives the signal and generates a return electronic signal, which is sent to each activated antenna;
A computer coupled to the said plurality of antennas, to receive the return signal from each passive transponder and generating preliminary results indicating an animal, which requires intervention
At least one chalk ejector mechanism to facilitate the dispensing of chalk powder directly onto the region of the animal to be identified. e.g. a neck or facial region.